Columns – Page 5 – Fishermens News

The Loss of the Linda

I first started crab fishing in San Francisco in 1957. The next summer, I fished for salmon with my brother “Fooz” on the boat Garnet. It was a very poor salmon season, but we were able to keep food on the table for our families and put a little in the bank, too. I leased the boat Fairway for that crab season, then I bought the boat Linda, a 33-foot, San Francisco-made boat the next salmon season. It was an old wooden boat, but had a reputation as a good sea boat. It had a Lathrup Marine gas engine in it and ran well, but had a gear-driven 6 volt, 6 amp generator on it. That really does not put out enough for much more than keeping the engine running. And with an automatic pilot and running lights at nighttime, it was not enough. So come that crab season, I felt I could not go to San Fra...

Engaging in the Process

As fishermen, we fish. We have devoted our lives, and in some cases given up those lives, to feed our communities, our state, and our nation. Our workspace is limited to the size of the vessel we find ourselves on. Our workplace is the ocean and all the beauty, vastness, and temperaments it brings. Our workday almost certainly ensures that no one day is like any day that preceded it. We may pull pots, troll lines, set nets, or make sets all day; but what we see and what we encounter along the way differs each day. At this time, there are numerous actions both known and unknown; and planned or proposed, which could have profound impacts on each of those, and on our ability to contribute to the nation’s food security. Workspace This advice is neither new, nor should it be controversia...

1964 Crab Season

Between salmon season and the coming Dungeness crab season, I was on the beach working on the crab traps for the coming crab season that was to open Dec. 1, 1964 in the Crescent City, Calif. area. I had put together 120 crab pots, and come Dec. 1, the weather report was not good: a strong southerly storm could be on its way. Most fishing boats were going to set pots anyway, hoping to get in on a good first catch, so I went too. We set all 120 pots but were unable to get back out to check on them for the next three days because of the stormy weather. When we did get out, I found 60 pots stuck in the mud, and the other 60 that I pulled loose did not have many crabs in them —maybe three per pot. So I brought the 60 pots home that I had pulled off the mud and stacked them on the dock. Luckil...

Why Healthy Fish Habitats Are Crucial to Our Fisheries

Part 2 of 2: This year, due to yet another year of forecasted low ocean salmon abundances, California commercial salmon harvesters have roughly 85 less days on the water (184 vs. 286 days) compared to 2020, and less in 2020 than in most previous years. This steady reduction in opportunity is intended to ensure that escapement goals for Sacramento River Chinook runs are met. The California portion of the Klamath Management Zone (CA/OR border to Fort Bragg) is also closed completely to commercial harvesters for the second year in a row, due to low fall Chinook returns forecasted for the Klamath River. All across the board, fishing opportunities have been steadily declining – but not as a result of fishing pressures or the need to prevent overfishing. Rather, fishery declines – particular...

Why Healthy Fish Habitats Are Crucial to Our Fisheries

Part 1 of 2: This year, due to yet another year of forecasted low ocean salmon abundances, California commercial salmon harvesters have roughly 85 less days on the water (184 vs. 286 days) compared to 2020, and less in 2020 than in most previous years. This steady reduction in opportunity is intended to ensure that escapement goals for Sacramento River Chinook runs are met. The California portion of the Klamath Management Zone (CA/OR border to Fort Bragg) is also closed completely to commercial harvesters for the second year in a row, due to low fall Chinook returns forecasted for the Klamath River. Across the board, fishing opportunities have been steadily declining – but not as a result of fishing pressures or the need to prevent overfishing. Rather, fishery declines – particularly for ...

John

My uncle John Hurwitz, who wrote this column since 2006, passed away after a heart attack at the age of 78 in Las Vegas on April 25, 2021. Born in 1942, he lived a fascinating life and enjoyed a long career as a commercial fisherman. Before writing for Fishermen’s News, he wrote for Pacific Fishing. Uncle John’s stories, co-authored by his wife, Irene, were a lively recollection of their days in West Coast commercial fishing. My uncle always seemed larger than life when I was growing up, and his adventures were like a Hollywood movie. His father, a US Marine, served in the Pacific during WWII and after the war was stationed along with his family in Japan. It was there that “Skip”, as the family called my uncle, first fell in love with fishing with his older brother, my dad Buzz. Event...

Reminicinces of an Old Bold Fisherman

Well, I must say it’s nice to be back at the keyboard. I really didn’t think I’d miss it, but I was mistaken. The sea, the boats, the fishermen are my soul. It’s something I need to feel whole and I really miss it. It’s the little things, the weather reports, the jokes, the old-timers, the youngsters, the jargon, the slang, (the “mother tongue” so to speak). Comments you make like, “I threw the pick.” “I set the heavy first and then the dogs! Got my first bite three stops down. They’re coming right on top today! I love this hoochie!” Anyway, you get the point! As for fishing, the latest reports I hear are not promising. As most of you know, crab season has been dismal, with reported numbers being ones and twos and zeros per pot. If anyone is doing better than that, they’re not talking. Th...

Getting Reacquainted

We are more than grateful to be part of the relaunch of Fishermen’s News. While our voice is one of many, we believe we present a unique perspective and appreciate the opportunity to share our thoughts, concerns and opinions with you. We look forward to diving deeper into specific issues in future articles; but today we briefly cover a diverse set of topics. Primarily because we had trouble deciding which of the following was most important. COVID-19 First and foremost, we offer our sincere condolences to those of us who have lost friends, family members or other loved ones. COVID-19 has had, and continues to have, profound impacts of the America and the U.S. commercial fishing industry. From lost markets to cancelled surveys which inform stock assessments, the true impacts of COVID-19 w...